This is my new feature that talks about my favorite settings! I decided to call it Boats, Planes, and Trains because if I could, I'd take all of these forms of transportation to get to those places if I could! Just to be able to visit my favorite bookish places!

A princess must find her place in a reborn world. She flees on her wedding day. She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection. She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father. She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan. The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

*MY THOUGHTS*

While reading this it was obvious to tell you either hated it or loved it. Can we guess which one I was? That's right, I was the latter. All in all it just wasn't the right book for me.

In all honesty this book seemed more like a filler to me than anything. Which is strange because it was the series starter! It just seemed like it was pretty long for it to really have nothing happening. And then things finally did start getting interesting it was at the end. I didn't like having to wade through 10.5 hours of boring to get to the good parts.

Also, everyone was talking about how this book was so good and somewhere in their reviews were always the words "OMG THAT CLIFFHANGER" or some sort of thing like that. Let me tell you... That cliff hanger was not that bad. I knew she was going to end up finding out who he was. I just didn't realize it'd be so soon.

Last but not least, there was the biggest reason I was disappointed... The love triangle. Regardless of what anyone says, I say there was one. Later on she obviously picks who she wants to be with, but there was still kissing of the other party and I just didn't care for it. And last but not least, I've heard this book had an amazing love story. I'm still looking for it. I could not have been reading the same book as everyone else. Not even close. Because I did NOT get that same feeling.

In short, this book was a little harder to get in to. (I tried once before on the HC and gave up on it) I'm glad to say I gave it another shot, but I can't say right now if I will try the next one. Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Source: Edelweiss (A huge thank you to Edelweiss and the Publisher for allowing me access to this galley. All opinions are my own and their permission to receive this did not sway my opinion in any way.)

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart. But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

*MY THOUGHTS*

To be honest I was a little iffy about reading another Snow White retelling after reading one a short time ago. But once I picked this book up, I could not set it down. It was way more than I expected and I was so glad to have the chance to read it!

"You don't go into battle because you're sure of victory, You go into battle because it's the right thing to do."

5%%

Lorelai is the one true princess of Ravenspire. She is also a fugitive at large. Her plan is to kill the evil queen before the evil queen kills her. Then comes a huntsman who needs the evil queen's help. In exchange the huntsman must bring the queen he heart of Lorelai. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it seems because Lorelai is not what the huntsman was expecting. At all.

"Negotiations work best when you have enough leverage to come to the table as an equal."

62%

The number one thing I liked about this one was of course all the Snow White elements. They were all done in a very cool and interesting way. There was the mirror, the apples, the huntsman, everything. But don't get me wrong, this isn't just another retelling. This book is full of non-stop adventure and makes this retelling stand out from many of the others I've read.

"You look most fetching today my lord."

19%

I also loved the MC. She was fun and down to earth to be a lost princess. It was evident that she loved her country and would do anything she could to save it. I also loved her magic and how she used it. It was interesting to see someone who could only use magic with their bare hands. I also liked the writing style. There were also different POV's and it was interesting to see this story from all aspects like the villain, the heroine, and the huntsman. This was one fantasy that was fun and easy to follow. There were a few words that were hard to pronounce (most of those were spells), but there is a glossary in the back that can help.

"Bloodlines and birthrights don't make someone worth following. Neither does appearance of power. I follow you because you have the courage of a true warrior."

39%

Last but certainly not least I loved the romance. I won't say who it's between, but if you know Snow White I'm sure you can guess. I will say I liked the love interest from the very beginning and had been waiting since I first saw (read? met?) them to fall for the other. I will definitely be adding hum to my list of book boyfriends!

"A warrior doesn't focus on the odds stacked against her. She focuses on her heart, on her will to face the evil in her world and defeat it, and then she finds a way to do it."

39%

This book was not what I was expecting, but in a GREAT way. It met all my expectations and more. I can truthfully say I already need the next book. Speaking of, I read on Goodreads that this series is "a series of stand alone companion novels, each an epic fantasy fairy tale retelling set in adjoining kingdoms." One question..... Is it too early to ask what the next retelling will be? lol I just NEED the next book in this series already. I need more of these characters.

Overall, I give this

Have you read this? What did you think about it? What's your favorite Snow White retelling?

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

This bookish meme tells the blogosphere what we're waiting patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) for! It's hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine!

Tess Kendrick, teen fixer extraordinaire, returns in a pulse-pounding thriller about a deadly conspiracy at the heart of Washington. For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets. Meanwhile, Tess's guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can--and cannot--be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover first-hand that power always comes with a price. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Ally Carter, the second book in this thrilling series will leave readers breathless.

Published by: Bloomsbuury Children's

Expected Publicaton: June 7, 2016

Why I'm Waiting: If you saw my TTT yesterday, you know how much I loved the first book in this series! I can't wait to see what happens next. Especially after that ending! I need to know what's happening with these characters and how everything is coming along for them!Also, Scandal's newest episodes just aren't doing it for me anymore, so I need this book in my life to fill the void lol

Monday, February 22, 2016

Source: Netgalley (A huge thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me access to this galley. All opinions are my own and their permission to receive this did not sway my opinion in any way.)

For fans of: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Adventure, YA

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing. Addictive, romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is an Outlander for teens.

*MY THOUGHTS*

Unfortunately this was another much anticipated book that I was desperately waiting on. And then seeing that a tour site I frequent had one available to read and review, I hurried to snag a copy. But then as I began reading it, I was intrigued for the most part, but then it just got to where all I wanted to do was skim. I think what killed this book for me was the fact that I was actually reading another time travel at the time I got this one and this one was more interesting. But then when I out down my other book and picked up this one fully, I was already annoyed with time travel. It made me think to myself is this really what I want right now. I thought that was it, so I took a break. But then I just wasn't in the mood to read it anymore. I did end up skimming it since I was still vaguely interested, and unfortunately it didn't get any better. The "retelling" part was the only semi interesting thing, and that was because I Googled it before hand and I wanted to know how it was portrayed. I think time travel just isn't my thing. Or maybe right now I just need a break from it. Whatever the case may be, I will stay away from them for now and move on to those books set only in the present!

Sunday, February 21, 2016

This bookish meme tells the blogosphere what all we borrowed, bought, and received for review. It's hosted over at Tynga's Reviews.

For Trade:

The amazing Iris from the Netherlands traded with me and completed my Trish Doller ARC collection! Thank you so much for sending me Where the Stars Still Shine! Your book from TBD should arrive shortly!

Giveaway Wins!:

From the amazing Sarah at What Sarah Read! So much greatness was in this book! And there were so many surprises! Thank you so much for those!

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About Me

29 years young. College grad. Working as a Youth Services Specialist. Masters from ALA accredited Univ. of North Texas (Library Science with a Youth Services certificate!) so that I can spread the word of literature to the youth. Books are a vacation and can take you anywhere you want to go... So follow me as I let books "Take Me Away... On the Pages of their Story."

Currently Reading

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Currently Listening:

A Stranger in the House by Shari LaPena

To all publishers and authors:

I do accept books (only MG/YA/NA)to be reviewed from big/small publishers or from any authors. I do not accept E-books. Also, I try not to review any books too far in advance of the publication date. Anyway, don’t hesitate to email me at pnh002@gmail.com.